Too Much Good Flora In Colon Found & Inflammed.

[KnightRobby]

I recently had another Open Original Shared Link and Open Original Shared Link. Previously, I showed signs of an inflammed descending colon. Now I am showing that there is too much good bacteria in my descending colon, which I am having tightness and pain - which has worsened. I have lost a ton of weight. I started probiotics as recommended. I deal mainly with severe constipation and left-sided stomach/colon pain (which they cannot find the cause).

I am wondering the cause of having too much good bacteria in the colon and how it might be treated. I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease as well.

My doctor is wanting to kill the good bacteria, with you guessed it, an antibiotic. I have not tried prednisone though and I would think that might help in the short term to get me over this...However, since this wasn't seen last time, I am wondering if it is caused by an increase of probiotics. I upped my probiotics since the last colonoscopy 50 billion units and I am eating a lot of healthy foods. I am reading that most probiotics die off before they reach the colon though...

It could be SIBO (which is basically bacterial overgrowth). I am losing tons of weight and feel like I am running out of treatment options before I end up in the ER.

I am thinking of just taking the antibiotics at this point in combo with some probiotics and eating healthy.

What do you think?

[w8in4dave]

If you have too much good bacteria why take the pro biotics? I am kinda new at this and am just wondering. I just started taking probiotics myself. 

[emaegf]

I would say stop taking the probiotics for a while and see if your levels go down. No antibiotics or prednisone which is a steroid. Both can cause more problems. And continue to eat healthy.

[Renegade]

Probiotics is to give you the good bacteria, if you have too much of the good stuff you don't need to take them anymore, at least stop taking them and see if it gets better.

[KnightRobby]

This is very strange.  He did do a stool sample and found absolutely nothing - including no H. Pylori and no so-called "too much good bacteria" was found either.  I honestly think he is throwing something at me so he can prescribe me an antibiotic and not deal with me.  

If he thought it was bacterial, why hasn't he done the breath test?  And no such test has ever been mentioned to me.  Only recently on another forum.

The antibiotic is called Cipro.  Has anyone heard of it?

Thanks for the comments.  I am at 113ibs at 5'10 and I am losing weight rapidly.  I can hardly eat.  I'm not getting the recommended calories at all.  I've tried changing my diet to all fruits and vegetables, then to cooked fruits and vegetables, then to cooked vegetables, no grains/wheat/gluten, etc.  Nothing has helped.  
 

[kareng]

Cipro is a very common antibiotic.

Descending colon isn't Celiac. Do you have colitis or Chron's? I'm not familiar with the treatment for that.

Are you eating enough calories and still loosing weight? Or you aren't eating enough because of pain?

Why not ask the doctor all these questions? Write them down and call. Maybe put him on speaker phone and have someone else listening to help you ask questions? And insist on some help?

[IrishHeart]

I have never heard of "too much good bacteria"--as ever being a reason to prescribe antibtioics. That does not seem like the reason why he would prescribe Cipro.

 

Antibiotics are prescribed to treat an INFECTION. (not "knock out" good bacteria)

 

There must be a reason why he is prescribing the Cipro. ASK him what infection he thinks you have that requires an antibiotic.

[notme]

i think cipro is a broad spectrum antibiotic - that will kill everything.  i am of the opinion that docs prescribe this when they can't figure out where they think your "infection" is - like kidney infection or urinary tract infection - i agree, you should find out for what reason you are being prescribed this.  it will certainly mess up your intestinal bacteria population  

[AlwaysLearning]

Just treating with antibiotics seems like treating the problem without figuring out the cause.

Isn't yeast supposed to help keep bacteria in check? And unless one were taking a probiotic, why would the good bacteria grow unchecked?

Is there some degree of a mono-diet in the mix? Lack of or too much of a certain food? Too much raw food or too little?

Is there some vitamin or mineral deficiency that would allow an overgrowth?

Until all of those questions were answered, I suppose I'd be hesitant to accept that treatment with antibiotics was the only thing that needed to be done.

[KnightRobby]

He did mention possible Crohn's and they're waiting on the biopsy results, but he said that the area he was suspecting for Crohn's did not look inflamed.  Also, nothing looked inflamed except for a scattered area of my descending colon.  Which with 2 opinions from GI doctors say it doesn't look major.

I am curious about another aspect I've been looking into and would appreciate your opinions.  I recently moved from Indiana to Arizona in the last 2 years and have slowly gotten worse.  I did allergy tests and my iEg was normal, but I did test positive to most of the trees/plants/etc around here.  I also have become allergic to foods I was never allergic to, including peanuts.

If I can point you to the NY Times, which discusses a woman who sounded exactly like me, that might show you what I am talking about: Open Original Shared Link

Could it be a major allergic response to the new environment?  Because at this point doctors are baffled.

[KnightRobby]

For anyone curious, the probiotics I am taking are called Jarrow 50 Billion (no 5 billion): Open Original Shared Link

 

I also found out that a previous antiobiotic can change the bacterial makeup of the colon, so that could be it instead...

[w8in4dave]

I would wait for results. Crohn's is not anything to dismiss! Have you heard anything from the Dr's? 

I am also losing weight 30 lbs in a a month. altho I know I am Celiac. You sweetie need to really w8 for your test to come back. I hope you find your answers , PLEASE let us know when you get them!! What ever they come up with. Please let us know!! Thanks! and Huggs!